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Darius Vassell and new signing Benjani scored the goals for City to leave United still two points behind Arsenal, having played one game more than the London side, who host Blackburn Rovers on Monday night.

 Third-placed Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw by Liverpool in the day's other match, themselves missing the chance to close to within a point of United.

 The match began with a minute's silence - impeccably adhered to by both sets of fans - in memory of the 23 people, including eight United players, who died in the Munich air disaster of 1958.

 Both teams wore old-fashioned shirts with no sponsors' logos and United began brightly, dominating possession.

 But they struggled to find the cutting edge and they were made to pay on 25 minutes as a nice breakaway saw Vassell run through on goal.

 Edwin van der Sar made two good saves to stop the former England striker but Vassell slotted the ball home at the third time of asking.

 United continued to press but City defended stoutly and doubled their lead right on half-time when Benjani got the slightest of flick-headers to a cross from Martin Petrov.

 Carlos Tevez thought he had pulled one back for United but his goal was ruled out for off-side early in the second half.

 Michael Carrick came off the substitutes' bench to pull one back for the champions, but it was too little too late and City hung on to move up to seventh, level on points with fifth-placed Liverpool and Aston Villa in sixth.

 United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz said a busy week of international assignments had perhaps affected the United side.

 "We did not have any tempo or inspiration early in the game," he said. "We were perhaps too anxious at the start, and that combined with a Manchester City side who showed good movement and were strong on the counter-attack.

 "We had seven or eight players who played 90 minutes in a friendly during the week and every time they come back to us they are affected by it in the next game," he said.

 City midfielder Dietmar Hamann said the whole City side had played well.

 "We worked ever so hard today and didn't give them much space when they went forward," he said. "Every time one of our players lost the ball another player covered and won it back.

 "We know how good they are going forward and to restrict them to one goal and a handful of chances throughout the 90 minutes showed how well we defended today."

   Chelsea missed the chance to close to within one point of United as they were held to a goalless draw at home by a determined Liverpool side.

 With Fernando Torres missing through injury, Liverpool paired Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt in attack and the visitors were the better side in the first half.

 Peter Crouch had three good chances, dragging the best of them inches wide with a left-foot snapshot.

 Chelsea picked up after the break and Michael Ballack almost won it for them 10 minutes from the end when he volleyed agonisingly wide from an Ashley Cole pass.

 Jermaine Pennant headed wide late on but the two sides had to settle for a point to leave Chelsea still three points behind United and five behind Arsenal.

 The point lifted Liverpool to fifth, three points behind Everton, with a game in hand on their Merseyside rivals.

 Chelsea manager Avram Grant said the result made little difference to his side's chances of winning the title.

 We can still win the title, it will not be easy, but we can do it and we will challenge to the end," Grant said.

 "Of course every game which we don't win we are disappointed, especially when it is a home match. We created some chances against Liverpool but it was not a game that was high on quality and was very tactical," he added.

 Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was pleased with an improved effort from his team.

 "I think we were slightly the better side," Benitez said.

 "In the first half we controlled the game and had chances and the in the second sometimes we looked dangerous going forward on the counter attack.

 "Chelsea did not have too many chances and we were trying to win the game. Then they brought on more strikers and are a good team but we were solid in defence.

 "Of course it is better to get three points but now we need to think about the next game which we have in hand and try to get three points from that," Benitez said.

By Ben James, dpa